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PM Modi’s charge of Manmohan Singh colluding with Pak disrupts Parliament for fourth day

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Disruptions continued to dog the Parliament on the fourth day of winter session, forcing Rajya Sabha to be adjourned for the day on Wednesday, Dec 20, while the Lok Sabha was adjourned temporarily and managed to conduct some business despite the ruckus.

The cause of the uproar was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks against his predecessor Manmohan Singh, accusing him of colluding with Pakistan to influence Gujarat polls. Dr Singh had made an uncharacteristically sharp rebuttal, accusing Modi of trying to win “political points” through “canards” and demanding that he apologise to the nation. Taking it up now, as expected, while the Congress is demanding an apology for the bizarre charge, the BJP government has made it clear that no apology would be tendered.

The loss of time comes when the winter session was already curtailed: it began on December 15 and will conclude on January 5 next year.

In Parliament on Wednesday, with the Question Hour on his office, PMO, the PM was present in Lok Sabha but no work could be conducted. As the Question Hour started, the Congress MPs trooped in the Well of the House, shouting “Dr sahab se maafi mango” (apologise to Dr Manmohan Singh). Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the proceedings of the House till noon.

In Rajya Sabha, Chairman Venkaiah Naidu’s repeated appeals for calm had no effect. Naidu’s statement did not help: “… Nobody is going to give apology. Nothing happened in the House. The statement was not made here.”

The Parliament has lost three days over the issue. On Tuesday, Naidu said he had met senior leaders from both sides to try and address the problem. He said he also met Dr Singh. There was an agreement that a joint committee will be formed to find a solution, according to media reports.

However, after a joint meeting between members of the government and the opposition on Tuesday, reports said an apology from Modi or his government was not likely. Reports said that the government clearly conveyed its decision during the meeting, in which Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar were present, that no apology will be issued for Modi’s accusation of treason, which he made on 11 December, without providing any evidence.

The meeting came after the Chairman of Rajya Sabha Venkaiah Naidu asked the two sides to talk and resolve the issue.

Dr Manmohan Singh was also reported to have met Naidu to express anguish over Modi’s remarks. “Dr. Manmohan Singhji met me. He has expressed his concern, his feelings. I have talked to him and also understood what he meant. I have conveyed it to the right persons also,” Naidu said.

While the government has made it clear that an apology from Modi was ruled out, it had reportedly assured that either Jaitley, who is Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha, or Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar would make a statement.

However, media reports quoting sources said that during the meeting between the Opposition and the government, Jaitley made it clear that he had a transcript of the Prime Minister’s speech and he did not speak out of line. Jaitley instead went on to accuse the Congress of using abusive terms for Modi.

“I think the PM’s stature will not be diminished if he clarifies and regrets because Manmohan Singh is also a member of the House. Why should he stand on falsehood? Either he should prove there was something wrong or he should take his words back to convey his regret to Singh,” deputy leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma said.

In the Lok Sabha, while turning down the opposition demand in the Question Hour for a discussion on the issue, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said, “The elections are over and the results are out. I cannot allow you to raise the issue here.”

The House was adjourned amid noisy scenes. The protests continued in the Well of the House even in the Zero Hour, with Congress members trying to speak even when not granted permission.

As Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi looked on, party MPs took to addressing the Speaker from the Well one by one though they could not be heard. Meanwhile, the Zero Hour proceedings continued regardless with members from ruling BJP and other parties raising various issues.

Congress leader in the House Mallikarjuna Kharge read out from a written note from his seat despite being disallowed by the Speaker. The Congress walked out shortly thereafter.

It is usually seen as the government’s responsibility to ensure smooth functioning of the House. It may allow a discussion and get an issue done with instead of letting it stall the Parliament’s work. However, the government and the opposition refuse to relent from their respective stands, costing the Parliament valuable time that could be used for debates and discussions over the business to be transacted.

The blame for disruptions always falls on the opposition parties, although during the previous, UPA government’s time, the charge was that the government was ‘shying away from a debate’.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Ajit Pawar’s son seeks detailed probe into Baramati plane crash

Jay Pawar has demanded a comprehensive probe and action against the aviation firm after the Baramati plane crash that killed Ajit Pawar and four others.

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Jay Pawar, the younger son of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, has called for a comprehensive and impartial investigation into the plane crash near Baramati that claimed his father’s life along with four others on January 28.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Jay Pawar raised concerns over what he described as “possible serious lapses” that may have led to the fatal accident. He asserted that the aircraft’s black box is not easily destroyed and stressed that people of Maharashtra deserve to know the complete truth behind the crash.

Demand for action against aviation company

The ill-fated Learjet 45XR aircraft was operated by VSR Ventures Private Limited. Jay Pawar urged authorities to conduct a detailed probe into the firm’s operations and sought a ban on the aviation company pending investigation.

“A detailed investigation of possible serious lapses and irregularities of the aircraft firm should be done in a detailed and impartial manner,” he said.

The crash occurred near the Baramati airstrip, resulting in the deaths of Ajit Pawar and four others.

Call for CBI probe and sabotage allegations

Jay Pawar’s statement came a day after Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar and leaders from the Nationalist Congress Party met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to demand a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the accident.

Separately, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar alleged there was reason to suspect sabotage in the crash and called for a multi-agency investigation involving experts.

During a press conference last week, Rohit Pawar also questioned the past record of Captain Sumit Kapoor, who was piloting the aircraft on the day of the crash. He referred to the pilot’s previous three-year suspension for alcohol consumption.

AAIB seeking support to retrieve CVR data

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is conducting a detailed probe into the crash. According to the agency, special technical assistance has been sought to retrieve data from the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) of the Learjet 45 aircraft involved in the accident.

The investigation is ongoing.

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PM Modi sends congratulatory letter to Tarique Rahman after swearing-in

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla handed over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s congratulatory letter to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman following his swearing-in and extended an invitation to visit India.

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Tarique Rehman

Om Birla on Tuesday met Tarique Rahman and delivered a letter from Narendra Modi, congratulating him on assuming office and inviting him to visit India.

The meeting took place shortly after Rahman was sworn in as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister following his party’s victory in the recently concluded parliamentary elections.

According to details shared, Birla also spoke to Rahman over the phone to personally convey PM Modi’s congratulations.

In his letter, PM Modi extended his greetings to Rahman on the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s win in the parliamentary elections and on his appointment as the next Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

“I extend my warmest congratulations to you on the victory of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party at the just-concluded parliamentary elections in Bangladesh and on your appointment as the next Prime Minister of Bangladesh,” the letter read.

The communication also included an invitation for the newly sworn-in leader to visit India.

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Navjot Kaur Sidhu says Rahul Gandhi disconnected from ground realities

Navjot Kaur Sidhu criticises Rahul Gandhi after exiting Congress, alleging corruption in the Punjab unit and predicting defeat in upcoming state elections.

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Former Congress leader Navjot Kaur Sidhu has launched a sharp attack on Rahul Gandhi soon after her exit from the party, accusing him of being detached from ground realities and failing to address concerns within the Punjab unit.

Speaking to reporters in Coimbatore, Sidhu said that Gandhi, who serves as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has not worked at the grassroots level and is unaware of what is happening within the party in Punjab. She stressed that understanding “ground zero” realities is crucial for leadership and said living in a “dream world” would not help the party.

Drawing a comparison with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sidhu said that while Gandhi speaks well and “talks sense”, his actions do not align with his words. She claimed there is nothing personally against the Prime Minister and challenged critics to find evidence of wrongdoing against him.

Sidhu also alleged widespread corruption within the Punjab Congress leadership. She claimed she sought an appointment with Gandhi for eight months to inform him about what she described as “injustice” and internal damage to the party. According to her, party tickets had already been sold, and she warned that Congress is likely to lose the state polls next year if corrective measures are not taken.

In a direct message to Gandhi, she said that if he is unaware of developments within his own party, then he does not deserve the leadership position. She further alleged that corrupt individuals surround him while honest leaders are ignored.

Sidhu claimed that she and her family were promised key roles, including a deputy chief minister post with seven departments and a Member of Parliament position for her, but were ultimately given nothing.

Last week, Congress general secretary in charge of Punjab, Bhupesh Baghel, announced that Sidhu had been expelled from the party. The announcement followed her own declaration that she had quit.

The 62-year-old leader was earlier associated with the BJP and served as an MLA from 2012 to 2016 before joining Congress. Recently, she levelled serious allegations against Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, claiming that ₹500 crore was being demanded in exchange for the Chief Minister’s post if the party wins the upcoming elections. She was suspended after making those remarks.

With Punjab heading towards elections next year, her allegations add to the turbulence within the state unit of the Congress.

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